Fair Housing
Fair Housing is a right protected by Federal and State laws. Each resident is entitled to equal access to housing opportunities regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, familial status, marital status, age, ancestry, sexual orientation, source of income, or any other arbitrary reason.
The primary purpose of Fair Housing / Tenant-Landlord Services is to actively support and promote freedom of residence in the City of Ventura to the extent that all persons, regardless of race, religion, national origin, sex, color, age, physical handicap, familial status or income source, will be allowed the same opportunity to secure housing they desire and can afford. Secondarily, the program seeks to provide centralized information to educate and raise awareness of the rights and responsibilities of both tenants and landlords in a rental relationship.
Information, resource & referral services for the city of Ventura on Matters of:
- Discrimination Issues
- Fair Housing Complaints
- Tenant / Landlord Disputes
Signs of Discrimination
- The rent or deposit quoted is higher than advertised.
- The manager says the unit is rented but the ad or sign is still posted.
- The manager says “You probably won’t like it here”, “We’ve rented out the family units”, or “There is no place for your children to play”.
- A real estate agent keeps “steering” you to look for houses in neighborhoods different than the ones you desire and you think you can afford.
- The manager denies your request to make minor modifications to your unit to accommodate your disability.
Reasonable Accommodation
The Fair Housing Act’s protection against disability discrimination covers not only tenants and home seekers with disabilities but also buyers and renters without disabilities who live or are associated with individuals with disabilities. The Act also prohibits housing providers from refusing residency to persons with disabilities, or placing conditions on their residency, because they require reasonable accommodations.
What is a reasonable accommodation?
A reasonable accommodation is a change, adaptation or modification to a policy, program, service, or workplace which will allow a qualified person with a disability to participate fully in a program, take advantage of a service, or perform a job. Reasonable accommodations may include, for example, those which are necessary in order for the person with a disability to use and enjoy a dwelling, including public and common use spaces. Since persons with disabilities may have special needs due to their disabilities, in some cases, simply treating them exactly the same as others may not ensure that they have an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling.
In order to show that a requested accommodation may be necessary, there must be an identifiable relationship, or nexus, between the requested accommodation and the individual’s disability. Whether a particular accommodation is reasonable depends on a variety of factors and must be decided on a case-by-case basis.
When should an individual request an accommodation?
An individual with a disability should request an accommodation as soon as it appears that the accommodation is needed. However, requests may be made at any time. For example, requests may be made when an individual is applying for housing, entering into a lease, or occupying housing. Individuals who become disabled during their tenancy may request accommodations, even if they were not disabled when they signed their leases.
Contact the Reasonable Accommodations Department for More Information
Phone: (805) 648-5008
Office Addresses
Riverside Office (Property Management)
995 Riverside Street Ventura, CA 93001
Phone: (805) 648-5008
Fax: (805) 643-7984
Snapdragon Office (Section 8/HCV)
11122 Snapdragon Street Suite 100, Ventura CA 93004
Phone: (805) 647-5990
Fax: (805) 647-4691